Elizabeth White
Intsructor: Richard Samuelson
English 102
5 February 2011
Extended Bibliography 3
Unit 1
1. Hoch, Charles. "Sheltering the Homeless in the US: Social Improvement and the Continuum of Care." Housing Studies 15.6 (2000): 865-876. EconLit with Full Text. Web. 7 Feb. 2011.
2. This article discusses the very reasons why the United States is struggling so much with homelessness, and what needs to be done to prevent from happening anymore. Hoch states: “Instead of fostering social improvement, housing policy should increase shelter security. National welfare to work policy in the US supports and rewards labor force participation. Local residential housing markets require similar efforts. As the poor receive more income, they do not escape poverty if local affordable housing choices remain few and costs high.” (Hoch, pg 866) So, why do these things need to change? How do these people end up homeless in the first place? Hoch takes a deeper look at stereotypes of people without a home. Many people different opinions of what the homeless “deserve” because of our previous misconceptions of why they’re homeless. Granted, statistically it is proven that many people are homeless because of things the majority of the population has no sympathy for. Whether it be drugs and alcohol, or are ex convicts; homelessness is still something to fix, even if we don’t think the human being “deserves it”. What many people do not consider are those with disabilities, or a foster child. Many disabled and previous foster children are homeless because they don’t have close family ties. When you’re in trouble you go to a family member or a close friend for help, but what is a person expected to do if they don’t have a family or close friends?

3. This source is credible because Hoch points out numerous statistics as far back as the 1980’s proving that how homelessness is being dealt with needs to anny up a little. What Hoch’s arguing is that yes, shelters are providing a service, but are they giving the homeless a means to succeed. Are shelters preparing these people to go back into the world, get a job, and be a contributing citizen? More likely than not, most shelters are there to do just that; to provide a shelter of someone’s head and give them some food. Now, this isn’t the shelters “bad doing” by any means. How are they supposed to help a major portion of the population when they have very little money circulating in?

4. I agree and disagree with this source. Hoch does make valid points that what’s being done to prevent homelessness is not enough, but what can we do? Where does that money come from? I believe it’s important to help those in need, but to what cost? Are people willing to risk their own financial security for the sake of a stranger that could very well be in the position they because of their own decisions? I would like to think that people of a community could put all accusations aside and help a person in need. Unfortunately, my general faith in humanity has squandered slightly over the past couple of years. But I still have hope!